STEMMING THE TIDE-IV—Ezekiel 22:23-31
Intervention/Confrontation/Stand against
Attention:
The little Dutch boy who plugged the leaking dam with his finger.
In her novel titled, ‘Hans Brinker, Or The Silver Skates,’ American author Mary Dodge made famous a tale of the bravery & commitment of a young boy in Holland.
He was coming home from school one day & notices a hole spewing water from a dike—Dikes protected the lower-than-sea-level land from being inundated with water from the sea.
It seems the boy did not have time to fetch help but rather plugged the hole with his thumb until help would arrive/He stayed there with his thumb in the dike all night, despite the cold, until the adults of the village find him the next day & make the necessary repairs.
Need:
To be individual & thereby corporate world changers.
YaHWeH sought for a man who would be willing to stand for Him in the midst of overwhelming sin.
YaHWeH is looking for a person to stem the tide of sin.
YaHWeH is looking for a person to stem/thwart/impede/obstruct the rampant onslaught of sin.
Who will stem the tide of sin?
Who will stand for the Lord against sin?
People who stem the tide of sin.
We have found previously that...
A person who stems the tide of sin, Addresses spiritual...
1. CLEANSING-CLEANLINESS(:23-24)
2. TREASON(:25)
3. DISCRIMINATION(:26)
4. GAIN(:27)
5. TRUTH(:28)
6—A person who stems the tide of sin addresses spiritual...
PRACTICALITY(:29)
Explanation:(:29)“oppression, robbery, mistreat the helpless”/Lifestyle/Application
:29—“The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, & mistreated the poor & needy; & they wrongfully oppress the stranger.”
*The sense of the Hebrew for “used oppressions” & “committed robbery” is more literally—‘Oppressively employed oppressions’ & ‘Robbingly employed robbery.’ OR ‘Pressed by Oppression’ & ‘Torn from by Robbery.’ Thus a ‘double whammy’ of exhortation intended to call the nation to examine their actions for what they really are, & thus for attaining the result of repentance.
The very people who have no power(“the poor & needy”) are the ones who are “mistreated” by “the people of the land.”
This should cause us to look at our own land. In fact, this is the stuff of rebellion, mutiny, insurrection, & revolution for any nation.
Likewise, resident aliens are “oppressed” injudiciously.
The way individuals(& thus the nation) treat others(even their own) is the ‘tell-tale’ marker of a “people” & their lack of faith.
Ps. 35:20—“For they do not speak peace, But they devise deceitful matters Against the quiet[egr--restful/peaceable] ones in the land.”
Ps. 36:1-4—<
Ps. 120:6-7—“My soul has dwelt too long With one who hates peace. I am for peace; But when I speak, they are for war.”
If your religion(that which you live by) does not address real-life matters & relationships it is useless, being entirely cerebral.
Everyone acts on their heart’s trust, so that...Everyone’s actions eventually reveal what they REALLY believe!...Everyone’s actions reveal whom they ACTUALLY worship...Everyone’s actions reveal what TRULY drives them to do what they do!
“People”(See :25, 27—vpn)—Me `am—Noun Masc.—1) Nation, people—1a) People, nation, 1b) Persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men; 2) Kinsman, kindred. Strong—a people(as a congregated unit); specifically--A tribe (as those of Israel); hence collectively--Troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock.
“Land”(See :24)—Ura eh’-rets—
“Used/Practiced”(See “oppress” below)—qve aw-shak’—Qal Perfect—1) To press upon, oppress, violate, defraud, do violence, get deceitfully, wrong, extort—1a) (Qal)--1a1) To oppress, wrong, extort, 1a2) To oppress. Strong—a primitive root(compare qse[To press upon/Quarrel]); To press upon, i.e. Oppress, defraud, violate, overflow.
“Oppressions/Extortion”—qve o’-shek—Noun Masc.—1) Oppression, extortion, injury—1a) Oppression, 1b) Extortion, 1c) Gain by extortion. Strong—Injury, fraud, subjectively--Distress; concretely--Unjust gain. Used 15X.
“Committed/Exercised”—lzg gaw-zal’—Qal Perfect—1) To tear away, seize, plunder, tear off, pull off, rob, take away by force; 1a) (Qal)--1a1) To tear away, rob, 1a2) To seize, plunder(with accusative cognate). Strong—a primitive root; To pluck off; specifically--To flay, strip or rob. Used 30X.
“Robbery”—lzg gaw-zel’—Noun Masc.—1) Robbery, something plundered. Strong—Robbery, or concretely--Plunder. Used 4X.
“Mistreated/Vexed/Wronged”—hny yaw-naw’—Hiphil Perfect—1) To oppress, suppress, treat violently, maltreat, vex, do wrong; 1a) (Qal)--To oppress, suppress; 1b) (Hiphil)--To treat violently, maltreat. Strong—a primitive root; To rage or be violent: by implication--To suppress, to maltreat. Used 21X.
“Poor”—yne aw-nee’—Adj.—1) poor, afflicted, humble, wretched—1a) Poor, needy, 1b) Poor & weak, 1c) Poor, weak, afflicted, wretched, 1d) Humble, lowly. Strong—Depressed, in mind or circumstances.
“Needy”—Nwyba eb-yown’—Adj.—1) In want, needy, chiefly poor, needy person; 2) Subject to oppression & abuse; 3) Needing help, deliverance from trouble, especially as delivered by God; 4) General reference to lowest class. Strong—in the sense of Want(especially in feeling); Destitute.
“Wrongfully/Without Justice/Denying Justice”—jpvm mish-pawt'—Noun Masc.—1) Judgment, justice, ordinance—1a) Judgment—1a1) Act of deciding a case, 1a2) Place, court, seat of judgment, 1a3) Process, procedure, litigation(before judges), 1a4) Case, cause (presented for judgment), 1a5) Sentence, decision (of judgment), 1a6) Execution(of judgment), 1a7) Time(of judgment), 1b) Justice, right, rectitude(attributes of God or man), 1c) Ordinance, 1d) Decision(in law), 1e) Right, privilege, due(legal), 1f) Proper, fitting, measure, fitness, custom, manner, plan. Strong—properly--A verdict(favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, especially a sentence or formal decree(human or [participant's] divine law, individual or collective), including the act, the place, the suit, the crime, & the penalty; abstractly--Justice, including a participant's right or privilege(statutory or customary), or even a style.
“Oppress”(See “Used” above)—qve aw-shak’—Qal Perfect—1) To press upon, oppress, violate, defraud, do violence, get deceitfully, wrong, extort—1a) (Qal)--1a1) To oppress, wrong, extort, 1a2) To oppress. Strong—a primitive root(compare qse[To press upon/Quarrel]); To press upon, i.e. Oppress, defraud, violate, overflow.
“Stranger/Sojourner/Alien/Foreigners”—rg ger OR (fully)—ryg geyr—Noun Masc.—1) Sojourner—1a) A temporary inhabitant, a newcomer lacking inherited rights, 1b) Of foreigners in Israel, though conceded rights. Strong—properly--A guest; by implication--A foreigner.
Argumentation:
Ex. 20:2-17—“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third & fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me & keep My commandments. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor & do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens & the earth, the sea, & all that is in them, & rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day & hallowed it. Honor your father & your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”
**Mat. 25:31-46—“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, & all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, & He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry & you gave Me food; I was thirsty & you gave Me drink; I was a stranger & you took Me in; I was naked & you clothed Me; I was sick & you visited Me; I was in prison & you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry & feed You, or thirsty & give You drink? ‘When did we see You a stranger & take You in, or naked & clothe You? ‘Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, & come to You?’ “And the King will answer & say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil & his angels: for I was hungry & you gave Me no food; I was thirsty & you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger & you did not take Me in, naked & you did not clothe Me, sick & in prison & you did not visit Me.’ “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, & did not minister to You?’ “Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
**Gal. 5:16-25—“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, & you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, & the Spirit against the flesh; & these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, & the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions & desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
Acts 20:17-30—“From Miletus he sent to Ephesus & called for the elders of the church. And when they had come to him, he said to them: “You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears & trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews; how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, & taught you publicly & from house to house, testifying to Jews, & also to Greeks, repentance toward God & faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains & tribulations await me. But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, & the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more. Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. Therefore take heed to yourselves & to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.”
**Js. 1:21-27, 14-22—“Therefore lay aside all filthiness & overflow of wickedness, & receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, & not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word & not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, & immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty & continues in it, & is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. If anyone among you thinks he is religious, & does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. Pure & undefiled religion before God & the Father is this: to visit orphans & widows in their trouble, & to keep oneself unspotted from the world.”.....“What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked & destitute of daily food, & one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed & filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, & I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, & I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--& tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, & by works faith was made perfect?”
Illustration:
Graduates/You will be tested in regard to your integrity of thought & action!/You will be thrown into a workforce that will absolutely test the true passion of your heart/The ‘cream will rise to the top’ as it were/You will be tested to ‘settle’ for less than God has planned for you—Such is bait set out by the devil!—Never settle for his schemes!/PRACTICALITY
I used to have a lifestyle that involved evaluating everything from my own perspective/I was the determiner of reality...of right vs. wrong...of good vs. bad/I never considered what God thought...I had no concern for His desire because I did not believe that there was a God or when I did, He was an anemic god of my own contrivance, who acted in accordance with my desire/PRACTICALITY
If I loved, He ‘approved’ of my version or understanding of love. If I hated, He ‘approved’ of my reasons for hate, giving an accepting nod to my misdirected actions. If my business was directed a certain way, then God winked approvingly at that self-direction/God was a slavish employee of mine bent on satisfying me!/PRACTICALITY
PRACTICALITY:
Building church edifices(buildings)—Offerings—Committing personal wealth to honor God’s name as played out thru the ‘betterment’ of the body.
Supporting ministries other than your own—Caring that others are reached with the Good News of Jesus.
Titheing your income—Permitting God’s control of your personal wealth.
Making sure your kids, & the kids of others, have a spiritual education—
Choosing a church, based on your service to God there—
As a true Christian it is impractical to serve self!
Application:
?Are you continually Addressing spiritual PRACTICALITY?
?Are you Stemming the Tide of sin?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
The little Dutch boy's commitment.
Action:
A person who stems the tide of sin, Addresses spiritual...
6. PRACTICALITY(:29)“oppression, robbery, mistreat the helpless”
1. CLEANSING-CLEANLINESS(:23-24)
2. TREASON(:25)
3. DISCRIMINATION(:26)
4. GAIN(:27)
5. TRUTH(:28)
Pts. 6 only! presented 08/14/2016am to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SE(Ave. A SE)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
